This invention relates in general to the field of expandable vehicles. More particularly, it relates to the fields of expandable camping vans and utility vehicles.
There have been numerous attempts to develop vehicles which are small enough to be comfortable to drive, but which--after reaching their destination--can be expanded to a size sufficiently large to constitute a comfortable camping and/or working environment. Prior to the present invention, these attempts have resulted in trailers, motor homes, and vans which are only enlarged through various complicated machinations and/or much effort on the part of their users. Furthermore, these prior vehicles are restricted to use at sites which have a fairly uniform surface, since the extensions have to be erected directly on the ground and/or through the use of jacks and other leveling supports. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,192,544 to Patterson discloses a telescoping extension for mounting on a vehicle. This extension rests on rails attached to the outside of the vehicle. As Patterson's extension is moved away from the bracing of these rails, small wheels must be lowered to the ground from the rear of the extension to avoid canting or outright collapse of the latter. Basically there is no support for the extension which is integral to the vehicle proper as the former is slid out from the latter.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,571 to Fillios is another example of the prior art. The expandable camper body of Fillios requires the hydraulic deployment of a support rack before the camper expansion can be put in place. Thus, for this system to work a site must be found which is not only uniform but of such a configuration that it will accept the fixed height of the support rack underneath the extension.
One expandable vehicle in the prior art that does not require external support is one involving a very complicated system of pulleys and wires, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,462 to Freller. Freller's system requires the suspension of the outer extension of a camper by flexible tension members deployed from pulleys located near the top of the camper body. Another expandable apparatus that does not require external support, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,158 to Peters et al., is a means to access the rear of a vehicle. The structure disclosed by Peters fails to teach a system to support the loads inside a camper or utility vehicle, including a person or persons inside the vehicle. The Peters device is similar to the drawer of a dresser rather than an expansion of a vehicle.
Therefore, what is needed is a system useable in rough terrain for extending the interior space of camping and utility vehicles. What is further needed is such a system which is also very robust. A yet further need in the industry is a system which is very easy to operate, one which can be set up by one person in a very short period of time with no need of external supports.